Your Multiverse.

I know summer has truly begun when the Los Angeles Film
Festival kicks into gear. Truly a blast to attend, whether at the Sunset 5,
Westwood, or downtown, the brand new venue for this year, it’s a great chance
to see old friends and new films, drink free vodka, and generally enjoy the few
remaining perks of the film critic’s life.

I’ve been blogging the festival for several years now,
whether at my own site, or other outlets I’ve
been
employed by. Each time I’ve done it for someone else, I’ve gotten
compliments on my work...then told there’s no interest in any sort of coverage
at all the following year. So it goes. In 2010, Geekweek readers will be the
lucky recipients of my own unique brand of fest-blogging, assessing the movies
and observing the scene. As I said when I started reviewing movies here, not
every film discussed will necessarily be “geek” – but know that I come at them
from that perspective, and may even introduce you to things you never knew you
liked...or hated.

In advance of the festival, I have had the chance to preview
nine of the narrative competition and documentary selections (I’ve also seen
the opening and closing night films, but have been asked not to comment on them
prior to their festival debut).

I will probably not attend the tangentially fest-related
premiere of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE, because TWILIGHT is stupid.

As for those nine films I mentioned, here are my takes...

CAMERA, CAMERA

The nice thing to say about this movie is that it’s
“hypnotic”...a less nice way of describing it would use the word “stupefying.”
Essentially non-narrative, Malcolm Murray’s film is a compilation of various
looks at the nation of Laos
through the cameras of Americans. Sometimes this means underwater footage of
seaweed being picked; or handheld video of a guy cycling through a street
market; or American youth plunging off potentially unsafe waterslides into the Mekong. Others, it involves interviews with some of those
aforementioned youth, and one older English guy who enjoys paying for sex, and
resents the fact that other international tourists are now cramping his game.
There isn’t any overarching narration or flow...not even a mention of Khan from
King of the Hill as being arguably the best-known Laotian character in the U.S.
No denying that this movie’s beautiful to watch at times, but it would be better
watched projected on a wall at an art gallery or rave, rather than in a quiet
movie theater that compels you to do nothing but stare, and possibly snooze.
It’s only 60 minutes, but feels twice as long. (Sat., June 19, 4 p.m.; Mon., June 21, 10:15 p.m.; Wed., June 23, 5
p.m.; all at the Regal)

CIRCO

Though it’s a Spanish-language documentary about a Mexican
circus, a certain big-name film critic who was sitting near me at the press
screening loudly remarked, on the way out: “Oh, I could tell it was an American-made
film within five minutes!” I’m not sure exactly how...I must be honest and
admit I came close to dozing off a few times, mostly owing to lack of sleep
more than anything detrimental in the film, although I will say that the movie
does manage to make circus life seem uninteresting, and I’m pretty sure that’s
kind of the point. Setting up the tent and bleachers, taking it down again,
moving on to the next town, barely breaking even because nobody wants to buy
circus tickets in a depression, kids being drilled at contortion moves and
acrobatics rather than being taught to read and write...and now the parents
disagree on what the best life should be. Will the lifelong ringmaster leave
his family business, or will his wife leave him? I found myself wishing they’d
come to a conclusive answer more quickly than they did. And show us more of the
animals, I mean, c’mon, if you have tigers you can be filming, why not take
advantage? (Fri., June 18, 7:45 p.m.;
Sat., June 19, 4:30 p.m.; Mon., June 21, 5 p.m.; all at the Regal)

DOG SWEAT

Shot secretively in the age of Ahmadinejad but prior to the
post-election riots in Iran, Hossein Keshavaraz’ film is an attempt to show the
real face of youthful Iran onscreen, as opposed to the austere, slow-moving
portraits of rural folks we’re so often used to seeing from that country. The
director announces his Islamically Incorrect intentions from the beginning, in
a scene with young men drinking Johnnie Walker Red Label, and discussing the
various color grades above that on the alcohol scale. Meanwhile, other teens
chafe under parental authority and door locks, married men have affairs, and a
car accident provokes string reactions from all involved. The narrative
inspiration here comes from Robert Altman and John Sayles, and their
multi-story movies which add up to an overarching portrait of time and/or
place...but DOG SWEAT is a bit more of a challenge for audiences, since all the
faces here are unknowns, and Sayles and Altman usually cast at least a handful
of familiar faces. Anonymity was obviously key here, as the actors could
potentially suffer real-world consequences similar to those some of the
characters suffer onscreen, and one can respect the achievement while still
wishing it were slightly more accessible as a story – Hossein hits the ground
running, and by the time we’ve finally figured out who everyone is and what
their connections are (and this movie is not a mystery flick, mind), things are
almost over. More of a valuable document than an evening’s entertainment, let’s
say. (Sat., June 19, 10:15 p.m.; Sun.,
June 20, 14:45 p.m.; Thurs., June 24, 5 p.m.; all at the Regal)

EVERYDAY SUNSHINE:
THE STORY OF FISHBONE

Best known for their ‘80s hit “Party at Ground Zero,”
Fishbone were always one of the hardest bands of the “alternative revolution”
to peg, mixing ska, funk, punk, metal, the occasional theremin, and an eclectic
stage presence that rarely emphasized any one frontman, though the mohawked
Angelo Moore ultimately became the most recognizable (now bald, he has tattooed
a virtual Mohawk strip on his bare scalp). On the offchance you haven’t heard
of them, testimonies from the likes of Ice-T, Mike Watt, Tim Robbins (huh?) and
a heavily filtered and made-up Gwen Stefani attest to their greatness and
groundbreaking nature, before the movie takes us back to the beginning and
tells their story, narrated – presumably mainly because of his last name – by
Laurence FishBURNE. Directors Chris Metzler and Lev Anderson jazz things up
with animation – ersatz Cosby Kids style for the band’s high school days,
growing more psychedelic in later years. I was amazed to learn that the band
are currently on somewhat hard times, with Moore having moved back in with his
Jehovah’s Witness mother, and the conflicts are many in a band where the
overriding goal was always to let everyone have an equal say – this can lead to
awesomely eclectic chaos, or just plain friction, and EVERYDAY SUNSHINE
demonstrates that Fishbone did both with gusto. I was never a huge fan, but
it’s a much more interesting story than your usual Behind the Music arc. (Sat., June 19, 10 p.m.; Mon., June 21, 8
p.m.; Wed., June 23, 5: 30 p.m.; all at the Regal)

FAREWELL

Composed almost entirely of gorgeously restored archival
footage, FAREWELL documents the 1929 around-the-world voyage of the Graf
Zeppelin, as told from the perspective of Lady Hay, a journalist hired by
William Randolph Hearst (who also funded the trip) to report on the journey
from a woman’s perspective, under the supervision of one of her exes...it was a
trip that would make her the first woman to circumnavigate the globe by air.
Poppy Elliott reads excerpts from Hay’s journal in voice-over, while the
footage varies from the skeletal wire-frame assembly of the giant balloon, to
colorized footage of geishas in Japan,
and obvious-in-hindsight foreshadowing of the rise of Nazism and tensions with Russia. Little
things are often enlightening – did you know crowds of people would actually
help push the Zeppelin into the sky to help it take off? Or that when water became
scarce onboard, only Hay was allowed to bathe, because, “who wants to sit at a
table with an unwashed woman?” Wikipedia suggests that some aspects of the
story told here are actually fictitious, but does not provide a link to the
specific skeptics who say so...whether that’s true or not, the clarity of the
old film shown here is astounding and a treat to watch. Once this documentary
(or semi-doc, whatever) gets more widely seen, it’s no stretch to imagine a
bigger-budget drama adapted from it. (Sat.,
June 19, 7 p.m.; Tues., June 22, 5 p.m.; Sat., June 26, 7:30 p.m.; all at the
Regal)

HELLO LONESOME

When a movie opens with a guy recording wildlife-documentary
voiceover in his underwear, it gets your attention. Turns out this is the first
onscreen role for Harry Chase, who, like the late Don LaFontaine, has often
been “Mr. Voice” in movie trailers, and is apparently most recognized as the
voice of Captain Morgan commercials. Here, he plays a dude named Bill who has
his own recording studio in an isolated house, so far from everywhere that he
can shoot beer cans with his pistols from a hot tub, and nobody complains. Only
the package delivery guy, Omar (Kamel Boutros) is occasionally peeved that Bill
answers the door in a Speedo. Meanwhile, an office drone named Gordon (Nate
Smith) who likes to bet on sports tries his hand at Internet dating, and is
unbelievably successful – seriously, I’ve done it a lot, and say that no way a
dude like this gets lucky so fast. Anyway, he hooks up with “Princess” (Sabrina
Lloyd, of TV’s SLIDERS and SPORTS NIGHT), and all is good until she gets the
results of the test back...she definitely has breast cancer. In a third tale,
an uptight divorce (James Urbaniak, channeling Dylan Baker), befriends the old
widow next door (Lynn Cohen, a.k.a. Magda on SEX AND THE CITY) when the latter
is stripped of her driver’s license, forced to sell her vintage vehicle, and
must depend upon others for rides to the grocery store. They end up sleeping
together, though it’s not clear anything more than sleeping is going on. The
three stories don’t really intersect, save when Bill’s voice is heard on
various TV’s, but all three deal with unlikely answers to loneliness, and the
possibility of dying with nobody around. Yet this isn’t a downer, really; writer-director
Adam Reid got his start at Comedy Central, and has managed to retain an
appropriate sense of humor even when tackling more sensitive thoughts (Lloyd’s
cancer-stricken character is based on Reid’s own sister, but never becomes
maudlin).. Have to say I prefer the naked voice-over dude’s story...but I have
a distinct feeling every audience member will pick his or her own favorite. (Fri., June 18, 7:30 p.m.; Tues., June 22,
10:15 p.m.; Wed., June 23, 5:30 p.m.; all at the Regal)

THE NEW YEAR

You jocks can keep your Megan Fox – the newest crushworthy
girl for geeks is Trieste Kelly Dunn in THE NEW YEAR. Press releases tout her
“breakout” performance...I’m not sure it’s the level of acting that breaks out
so much as the fact that she’s the pretty nerd girl next door who seems like a
smart pin-up. Think MTV’s Daria all grown up, except instead of graduating from
some top college, she’s moved back in with her father the author, now residing
in Pensacola, Florida, and with cancer promising him a somewhat imminent
demise. Dunn’s character Sunny works in a bowling alley, and the movie follows
her from shortly before Christmas through New Year’s. You could probably call
this movie “mumblecore,” but I won’t, for two reasons: firstly, I always think
of those types of movies as being set in big cities, and secondly I freaking
HATE the term “mumblecore,” since few if any of the characters in them actually
mumble. Anyway, stuff kinda happens to Sunny: she’s dating a pudgy Tae Kwon Do
instructor (alas, not Danny McBride) whom her BFF Amy dubs “Kung-Fu Panda, but
when an old flame from high school resurfaces, now as an aspiring comedian
living in New York, she’s tempted to stray. Yet these are played almost as
incidentals, even though the vague triangle is what passes for a plot. I’m not
entirely sure why I liked this to the extent that I did, and can imagine it
boring some of you...the ending in particular is almost maddeningly,
calculatedly non-sequitur-ish. But it’s not just Dunn’s charisma – the details
of small-town characters, like Amy’s dumbass wigger boyfriend and the karate
kids who perform at the local multiplex, are a large part of what makes things
work. I’m also massively curious how many takes were required to capture Dunn
bowling perfect strikes every time out. (Fri.,
June 18, 10:15 p.m.; Tues., June 22, 4:45 p.m.; Wed., June 23, 7:30 p.m.; all
at the Regal)

OF LOVE AND OTHER
DEMONS

“Rabies is one of the devil’s many tricks.” If you think
today’s Catholic bishops have issues, consider the fellow who speaks this line
aloud in the era of the Inquisition. When the sexually budding daughter from a
wealthy family gets bitten by a rabid dog, it is thus promptly assumed that any
trace of madness or disease is not the fault of infection, but rather of
Satanic possession, and thus she is confined to a cell in a nunnery, often
bound by chains. The rabies turns out not to have taken hold in her body, but
there’s a fellow out there who’d certainly like to...the key problem being that
he’s the priest assigned to banish Satan from her person. Later, we find out
the two have dreamed of each other before ever meeting – at least, I think we
find that out. This is a Gabriel Garcia Marquez adaptation, after all, and some
things are magically real and surreal (a lit candle underwater is a recurring
motif). Nicely shot with simple sets that are effectively darkened for
atmosphere, OF LOVE AND OTHER DEMONS, brings to mind the recent LOST episode
“Ab Aeterno,” which may of course have been inspired by Marquez to begin with.
Some truly awful music mars the climactic moments, but overall this is a tale
well told. (Fri., June 18, 9:45 p.m.; Sun.,
June 20, 7:15 p.m.; Mon., June 21, 4:45 p.m.; all at the Regal)

ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT

I will admit upfront that I have a total soft spot for elephants,
probably dating back to my love of the book “The Elephant and the Bad Baby” as
a child (long story short: the baby is defined as “bad” because, despite riding
around on an elephant, he never once says “please”). So I was already inclined
to love this tale of a balding man who is actually named David Balding, and the
baby elephant he adopted back in 1984 named Flora. David and his wife Laura
never had children, but he named his circus after Flora and centered his life
around her. Unfortunately, there comes a time for all children to outgrow the
nest, and as Flora got bigger, the circus simply couldn’t hold her, plus David
was ready to retire. This documentary tracks the events that happened next, in
the quest for a new home. Some of the options heartbreakingly fail, but fear
not: the movie, after all, is called ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT, and not ONE GREAT
IVORY SOURCE. Along the way, learn the behavioral differences between African
and Asian elephants, and here some of the theories as to why perfectly peaceful
pachyderms can become dangerously unpredictable as they get older. The only
aspect of the film I don’t like is that in reading the press notes, it becomes
clear that producer-writer Cristina Colissimo was an active participant in the
story, trying to find Flora a home and fundraising for her...yet none of this
is disclosed onscreen. It doesn’t make the movie bad – hell, I laughed, I
cried, I cheered – but when something is presented as an objective look, not
even acknowledging the unseen producer as a key participant in the events being
chronicled, audiences ought to be informed of that. That qualm aside, let me,
uh, trumpet this as one of the fest
flicks you’ll never forget. (Sat., June 19, 6:30 p.m. (panel discussion
follows); Fri., June 25, 5 p.m.; Sat., June 26, 1:45 p.m.; all at the Regal)

NOTE: ALL SCREENING
TIMES AND DAYS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Visit lafilmfest.com for updates.

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LYT at LAFF: Geekweek's Coverage of the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival Begins!

I know summer has truly begun when the Los Angeles Film
Festival kicks into gear. Truly a blast to attend, whether at the Sunset 5,
Westwood, or downtown, the brand new venue for this year, it’s a great chance
to see old friends and new films, drink free vodka, and generally enjoy the few
remaining perks of the film critic’s life.

I’ve been blogging the festival for several years now,
whether at my own site, or other outlets I’ve
been
employed by. Each time I’ve done it for someone else, I’ve gotten
compliments on my work...then told there’s no interest in any sort of coverage
at all the following year. So it goes. In 2010, Geekweek readers will be the
lucky recipients of my own unique brand of fest-blogging, assessing the movies
and observing the scene. As I said when I started reviewing movies here, not
every film discussed will necessarily be “geek” – but know that I come at them
from that perspective, and may even introduce you to things you never knew you
liked...or hated.

In advance of the festival, I have had the chance to preview
nine of the narrative competition and documentary selections (I’ve also seen
the opening and closing night films, but have been asked not to comment on them
prior to their festival debut).

I will probably not attend the tangentially fest-related
premiere of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE, because TWILIGHT is stupid.

As for those nine films I mentioned, here are my takes...

CAMERA, CAMERA

The nice thing to say about this movie is that it’s
“hypnotic”...a less nice way of describing it would use the word “stupefying.”
Essentially non-narrative, Malcolm Murray’s film is a compilation of various
looks at the nation of Laos
through the cameras of Americans. Sometimes this means underwater footage of
seaweed being picked; or handheld video of a guy cycling through a street
market; or American youth plunging off potentially unsafe waterslides into the Mekong. Others, it involves interviews with some of those
aforementioned youth, and one older English guy who enjoys paying for sex, and
resents the fact that other international tourists are now cramping his game.
There isn’t any overarching narration or flow...not even a mention of Khan from
King of the Hill as being arguably the best-known Laotian character in the U.S.
No denying that this movie’s beautiful to watch at times, but it would be better
watched projected on a wall at an art gallery or rave, rather than in a quiet
movie theater that compels you to do nothing but stare, and possibly snooze.
It’s only 60 minutes, but feels twice as long. (Sat., June 19, 4 p.m.; Mon., June 21, 10:15 p.m.; Wed., June 23, 5
p.m.; all at the Regal)

CIRCO

Though it’s a Spanish-language documentary about a Mexican
circus, a certain big-name film critic who was sitting near me at the press
screening loudly remarked, on the way out: “Oh, I could tell it was an American-made
film within five minutes!” I’m not sure exactly how...I must be honest and
admit I came close to dozing off a few times, mostly owing to lack of sleep
more than anything detrimental in the film, although I will say that the movie
does manage to make circus life seem uninteresting, and I’m pretty sure that’s
kind of the point. Setting up the tent and bleachers, taking it down again,
moving on to the next town, barely breaking even because nobody wants to buy
circus tickets in a depression, kids being drilled at contortion moves and
acrobatics rather than being taught to read and write...and now the parents
disagree on what the best life should be. Will the lifelong ringmaster leave
his family business, or will his wife leave him? I found myself wishing they’d
come to a conclusive answer more quickly than they did. And show us more of the
animals, I mean, c’mon, if you have tigers you can be filming, why not take
advantage? (Fri., June 18, 7:45 p.m.;
Sat., June 19, 4:30 p.m.; Mon., June 21, 5 p.m.; all at the Regal)

DOG SWEAT

Shot secretively in the age of Ahmadinejad but prior to the
post-election riots in Iran, Hossein Keshavaraz’ film is an attempt to show the
real face of youthful Iran onscreen, as opposed to the austere, slow-moving
portraits of rural folks we’re so often used to seeing from that country. The
director announces his Islamically Incorrect intentions from the beginning, in
a scene with young men drinking Johnnie Walker Red Label, and discussing the
various color grades above that on the alcohol scale. Meanwhile, other teens
chafe under parental authority and door locks, married men have affairs, and a
car accident provokes string reactions from all involved. The narrative
inspiration here comes from Robert Altman and John Sayles, and their
multi-story movies which add up to an overarching portrait of time and/or
place...but DOG SWEAT is a bit more of a challenge for audiences, since all the
faces here are unknowns, and Sayles and Altman usually cast at least a handful
of familiar faces. Anonymity was obviously key here, as the actors could
potentially suffer real-world consequences similar to those some of the
characters suffer onscreen, and one can respect the achievement while still
wishing it were slightly more accessible as a story – Hossein hits the ground
running, and by the time we’ve finally figured out who everyone is and what
their connections are (and this movie is not a mystery flick, mind), things are
almost over. More of a valuable document than an evening’s entertainment, let’s
say. (Sat., June 19, 10:15 p.m.; Sun.,
June 20, 14:45 p.m.; Thurs., June 24, 5 p.m.; all at the Regal)

EVERYDAY SUNSHINE:
THE STORY OF FISHBONE

Best known for their ‘80s hit “Party at Ground Zero,”
Fishbone were always one of the hardest bands of the “alternative revolution”
to peg, mixing ska, funk, punk, metal, the occasional theremin, and an eclectic
stage presence that rarely emphasized any one frontman, though the mohawked
Angelo Moore ultimately became the most recognizable (now bald, he has tattooed
a virtual Mohawk strip on his bare scalp). On the offchance you haven’t heard
of them, testimonies from the likes of Ice-T, Mike Watt, Tim Robbins (huh?) and
a heavily filtered and made-up Gwen Stefani attest to their greatness and
groundbreaking nature, before the movie takes us back to the beginning and
tells their story, narrated – presumably mainly because of his last name – by
Laurence FishBURNE. Directors Chris Metzler and Lev Anderson jazz things up
with animation – ersatz Cosby Kids style for the band’s high school days,
growing more psychedelic in later years. I was amazed to learn that the band
are currently on somewhat hard times, with Moore having moved back in with his
Jehovah’s Witness mother, and the conflicts are many in a band where the
overriding goal was always to let everyone have an equal say – this can lead to
awesomely eclectic chaos, or just plain friction, and EVERYDAY SUNSHINE
demonstrates that Fishbone did both with gusto. I was never a huge fan, but
it’s a much more interesting story than your usual Behind the Music arc. (Sat., June 19, 10 p.m.; Mon., June 21, 8
p.m.; Wed., June 23, 5: 30 p.m.; all at the Regal)

FAREWELL

Composed almost entirely of gorgeously restored archival
footage, FAREWELL documents the 1929 around-the-world voyage of the Graf
Zeppelin, as told from the perspective of Lady Hay, a journalist hired by
William Randolph Hearst (who also funded the trip) to report on the journey
from a woman’s perspective, under the supervision of one of her exes...it was a
trip that would make her the first woman to circumnavigate the globe by air.
Poppy Elliott reads excerpts from Hay’s journal in voice-over, while the
footage varies from the skeletal wire-frame assembly of the giant balloon, to
colorized footage of geishas in Japan,
and obvious-in-hindsight foreshadowing of the rise of Nazism and tensions with Russia. Little
things are often enlightening – did you know crowds of people would actually
help push the Zeppelin into the sky to help it take off? Or that when water became
scarce onboard, only Hay was allowed to bathe, because, “who wants to sit at a
table with an unwashed woman?” Wikipedia suggests that some aspects of the
story told here are actually fictitious, but does not provide a link to the
specific skeptics who say so...whether that’s true or not, the clarity of the
old film shown here is astounding and a treat to watch. Once this documentary
(or semi-doc, whatever) gets more widely seen, it’s no stretch to imagine a
bigger-budget drama adapted from it. (Sat.,
June 19, 7 p.m.; Tues., June 22, 5 p.m.; Sat., June 26, 7:30 p.m.; all at the
Regal)

HELLO LONESOME

When a movie opens with a guy recording wildlife-documentary
voiceover in his underwear, it gets your attention. Turns out this is the first
onscreen role for Harry Chase, who, like the late Don LaFontaine, has often
been “Mr. Voice” in movie trailers, and is apparently most recognized as the
voice of Captain Morgan commercials. Here, he plays a dude named Bill who has
his own recording studio in an isolated house, so far from everywhere that he
can shoot beer cans with his pistols from a hot tub, and nobody complains. Only
the package delivery guy, Omar (Kamel Boutros) is occasionally peeved that Bill
answers the door in a Speedo. Meanwhile, an office drone named Gordon (Nate
Smith) who likes to bet on sports tries his hand at Internet dating, and is
unbelievably successful – seriously, I’ve done it a lot, and say that no way a
dude like this gets lucky so fast. Anyway, he hooks up with “Princess” (Sabrina
Lloyd, of TV’s SLIDERS and SPORTS NIGHT), and all is good until she gets the
results of the test back...she definitely has breast cancer. In a third tale,
an uptight divorce (James Urbaniak, channeling Dylan Baker), befriends the old
widow next door (Lynn Cohen, a.k.a. Magda on SEX AND THE CITY) when the latter
is stripped of her driver’s license, forced to sell her vintage vehicle, and
must depend upon others for rides to the grocery store. They end up sleeping
together, though it’s not clear anything more than sleeping is going on. The
three stories don’t really intersect, save when Bill’s voice is heard on
various TV’s, but all three deal with unlikely answers to loneliness, and the
possibility of dying with nobody around. Yet this isn’t a downer, really; writer-director
Adam Reid got his start at Comedy Central, and has managed to retain an
appropriate sense of humor even when tackling more sensitive thoughts (Lloyd’s
cancer-stricken character is based on Reid’s own sister, but never becomes
maudlin).. Have to say I prefer the naked voice-over dude’s story...but I have
a distinct feeling every audience member will pick his or her own favorite. (Fri., June 18, 7:30 p.m.; Tues., June 22,
10:15 p.m.; Wed., June 23, 5:30 p.m.; all at the Regal)

THE NEW YEAR

You jocks can keep your Megan Fox – the newest crushworthy
girl for geeks is Trieste Kelly Dunn in THE NEW YEAR. Press releases tout her
“breakout” performance...I’m not sure it’s the level of acting that breaks out
so much as the fact that she’s the pretty nerd girl next door who seems like a
smart pin-up. Think MTV’s Daria all grown up, except instead of graduating from
some top college, she’s moved back in with her father the author, now residing
in Pensacola, Florida, and with cancer promising him a somewhat imminent
demise. Dunn’s character Sunny works in a bowling alley, and the movie follows
her from shortly before Christmas through New Year’s. You could probably call
this movie “mumblecore,” but I won’t, for two reasons: firstly, I always think
of those types of movies as being set in big cities, and secondly I freaking
HATE the term “mumblecore,” since few if any of the characters in them actually
mumble. Anyway, stuff kinda happens to Sunny: she’s dating a pudgy Tae Kwon Do
instructor (alas, not Danny McBride) whom her BFF Amy dubs “Kung-Fu Panda, but
when an old flame from high school resurfaces, now as an aspiring comedian
living in New York, she’s tempted to stray. Yet these are played almost as
incidentals, even though the vague triangle is what passes for a plot. I’m not
entirely sure why I liked this to the extent that I did, and can imagine it
boring some of you...the ending in particular is almost maddeningly,
calculatedly non-sequitur-ish. But it’s not just Dunn’s charisma – the details
of small-town characters, like Amy’s dumbass wigger boyfriend and the karate
kids who perform at the local multiplex, are a large part of what makes things
work. I’m also massively curious how many takes were required to capture Dunn
bowling perfect strikes every time out. (Fri.,
June 18, 10:15 p.m.; Tues., June 22, 4:45 p.m.; Wed., June 23, 7:30 p.m.; all
at the Regal)

OF LOVE AND OTHER
DEMONS

“Rabies is one of the devil’s many tricks.” If you think
today’s Catholic bishops have issues, consider the fellow who speaks this line
aloud in the era of the Inquisition. When the sexually budding daughter from a
wealthy family gets bitten by a rabid dog, it is thus promptly assumed that any
trace of madness or disease is not the fault of infection, but rather of
Satanic possession, and thus she is confined to a cell in a nunnery, often
bound by chains. The rabies turns out not to have taken hold in her body, but
there’s a fellow out there who’d certainly like to...the key problem being that
he’s the priest assigned to banish Satan from her person. Later, we find out
the two have dreamed of each other before ever meeting – at least, I think we
find that out. This is a Gabriel Garcia Marquez adaptation, after all, and some
things are magically real and surreal (a lit candle underwater is a recurring
motif). Nicely shot with simple sets that are effectively darkened for
atmosphere, OF LOVE AND OTHER DEMONS, brings to mind the recent LOST episode
“Ab Aeterno,” which may of course have been inspired by Marquez to begin with.
Some truly awful music mars the climactic moments, but overall this is a tale
well told. (Fri., June 18, 9:45 p.m.; Sun.,
June 20, 7:15 p.m.; Mon., June 21, 4:45 p.m.; all at the Regal)

ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT

I will admit upfront that I have a total soft spot for elephants,
probably dating back to my love of the book “The Elephant and the Bad Baby” as
a child (long story short: the baby is defined as “bad” because, despite riding
around on an elephant, he never once says “please”). So I was already inclined
to love this tale of a balding man who is actually named David Balding, and the
baby elephant he adopted back in 1984 named Flora. David and his wife Laura
never had children, but he named his circus after Flora and centered his life
around her. Unfortunately, there comes a time for all children to outgrow the
nest, and as Flora got bigger, the circus simply couldn’t hold her, plus David
was ready to retire. This documentary tracks the events that happened next, in
the quest for a new home. Some of the options heartbreakingly fail, but fear
not: the movie, after all, is called ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT, and not ONE GREAT
IVORY SOURCE. Along the way, learn the behavioral differences between African
and Asian elephants, and here some of the theories as to why perfectly peaceful
pachyderms can become dangerously unpredictable as they get older. The only
aspect of the film I don’t like is that in reading the press notes, it becomes
clear that producer-writer Cristina Colissimo was an active participant in the
story, trying to find Flora a home and fundraising for her...yet none of this
is disclosed onscreen. It doesn’t make the movie bad – hell, I laughed, I
cried, I cheered – but when something is presented as an objective look, not
even acknowledging the unseen producer as a key participant in the events being
chronicled, audiences ought to be informed of that. That qualm aside, let me,
uh, trumpet this as one of the fest
flicks you’ll never forget. (Sat., June 19, 6:30 p.m. (panel discussion
follows); Fri., June 25, 5 p.m.; Sat., June 26, 1:45 p.m.; all at the Regal)

NOTE: ALL SCREENING
TIMES AND DAYS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Visit lafilmfest.com for updates.